Formats

The format that i am studying is the different types of television programmes.

The types of television programmes that i am researching are: 

• Series 

• Serials 

• Single drama

Editing

In some sense, editing begins some time before the first day of principal photography. Normally during pre-production, a blue print is created envisaging how the visual parts will assemble to make up the whole. This is the story board, a document which imagines how every unit of action will take place. 

The story board is extremely beneficial to the creator of the film due to it being an edit of the film before the footage is shot. This gives a guideline for the director to follow when shooting the film, further deviations can be made when shooting the film to further enhance the atmosphere of the scene. The story board includes a highly functional document, signposting key editorial techniques which are going to be put into effect. 

In order for an action match to be possible in the edit, a piece of action, filmed form different camera angles must be identically realized in each frame. The rhythm and pacing of the movement must be same. The position of body parts and items of costume must be the same. If it is not the same that the rhythm of the action will be broken therefore becoming unprofessional for the audience to watch. 

Inter-cutting scenes create tension. When used to draw two story lines together, this can be structured to create tension and heighten identification with a character. When an action match is used for inter-cutting, it can highlight parallels and contrast between characters in different situations. Eye line matches provide insight to a characters point of focus, in other words it is used to show what the character is seeing. This can give a better view due to actually feeling what the character would feel when seeing the sight he/she sees. 

Sound

Sound can enrich the sensory experience of art. By combing movement and sound, creative drama maximizes an audiences impressions, experience and emotional response. Sound can work in parallel, harmonizing the visuals and narrative or can go against the work in a way that is slightly at variance with the visuals.

Their are two main types of sound and they are Diegetic and non-diegetic.

•  Diegetic sound is any sound presented as originated from source within the film's world. Diegetic sound can be either on screen or off screen depending on whatever its source is within the frame or outside the frame. If the characters can hear it, then it is diegetic. 

• Non- diegetic is Sound whose source is neither visible on the screen nor has been implied to be present in the action. Examples of non-diegetic sound would be narrator's commentary, sound effects which is added for the dramatic effect and mood music.

Diegesis is a Greek word for recounted story. It is the total world of the stories action.


Below is examples of diegetic and non-diegetic sound used within film:

Distinction depends on the understanding of the conventions of film viewing and listening. Manipulating the two together in conventions can be used to create horror or to surprise an audience.


Contrapuntal music is used to form an ironic juxtaposition with the visuals. It is used to contradict or ironize the sense being generated by the visual action in the scene, undermine or upset the mood established by the visual action in the scene or to change the message of a scene.


Parallel music seeks to match the action by complimenting the visuals. It is used to underline emotion, indicate time and place, embody themes and embody motifs.


Below is an example of music running parallel with the visuals to enhance the scene:

Camera

The director of a drama has a variety of shot opinions available when thinking about how to capture the action within a scene. The type of shot they choose is critical to bring the best visual experience out of the action that is occurring. Many filmmakers consider shot variety to be essential of audience satisfaction, and key to maintaining viewer interest. The logic behind this is that is shot i being held for too long, the audience have already been engaged in that shot for some time and slowly start to lose interest. Switching up the shots give the audience something new to constantly look at, as a result the viewer maintains interest and is engaged throughout.

There are many different shot sizes and shot distances:

• Extreme close up - This is where the camera focuses on facial expressions.

• Close up - This is a shot where the camera focus on the head and cuts just below the shoulders. 

• Medium close shot - This is shot that focuses on a character from half way up their body. 

• Medium long shot - This a shot that focuses on a character from half way up their legs and conveys their body and head. 

• Long shot - This is a shot which can set a scene and convey a characters full body from a distance.
  

• Extreme long shot - This is a shot which sets the scene from a far distance. 

Their are many different angles you can use when taking a shot, these are some angles below: 

• High angle - This is an angle that from a height looking down on a character. 

• Low angle - This is an angle that is taken from a low height that looks up at a character. 

• Eye level - This is an angle that is level with the characters eyes. 

• Birds eye view - This is an angle that is taken from the sky looking down at a character. 

• POV - This is angle that is taken from the characters point of view. 

There are also different types of movements within  cameras such as zoom in, zoom out, and pull focus. Moving the camera is different to the movements within the camera. You can move that camera in multiple ways. Below is some ways that you can move the camera: 

• Crane - You can attach a camera to a crane to achieve high angle shots. 

• Tracking shot - This is where the camera is attached to a track to achieve a smooth moving shot. 

• Handheld - This is simply where the camera operator holds the camera when filming. 

Closed endings

Closed endings are one where the story comes to an end once the film finishes, The audience only things about the content of the film, not what happens next. There is a sense of satisfaction from a story finishes in contrast with open endings. If the ending is a happy one throughout a film of destruction and chaos, there is a sense of relief that is given to the audience knowing that everything turned out fine. Also, the sense of relief that they receive is obtained through them being engaged within the film. If an ending is closed, an audience will be determined to find out how the story comes to an end.


An example of a closed ending would be from the film DJANGO.






This a good example of a closed endings due to the film being over 2 hours long and containing a vast mount of gripping content. A closed ending suited this film perfectly because of the struggle that the audience witnessed throughout the film from the main character. He lost his wife to the slave trade and is determined to get her back once he meets a German bounty hunter. At the end he reunited with his wife and destroys the place that held her as a slave. As the audience we feel a sense of happiness for what the main character accomplishes. In my opinion, this is a good example of a closed endings because of the struggle that he goes to is over grown by the ending.

Open endings

Open endings are one that leaves the film with a plot that has not yet been resolved. The audience imagines deep conflict of what could happen next. Open endings can be very powerful in terms of the rating of the film because a film that is good is one that you think about after you have watched it. Open endings cause you to wonder what happens after the film has finished, this is powerful because it gives a chance for the audience to give their own interpretation of how the film ends.

An example of an open ending would be the final scene in Inception.





Within the film, we notice that if the object on the table spins forever and does not stop then he is in a dream. If it does stop spinning then he is in real life. At the end of the film, he finally gets reunited with his children after years of being away from them. Once he reunites himself with his children, he spins the object on the table and it spins. Seconds pass as the object keeps spinning and then the image cuts to black whilst the object is spinning. We, the audience do not see if the object spins forever or stops spinning. This means that we do not know whether he lives the rest of his life in a dream or in real life. Debate can be caused and opinions can be made on what happens after the film has finished. In my opinion, this is a perfect example of an open ending and is incredibly powerful for the audience to witness.

Realist

Realist narratives try to show life as it is. They are bound to the rules of life as we know it. They often focus on things that affect us which is where they normally drive their power. Realist is powerful on its own because the general audience can relate and put themselves in the shoes of the characters within the drama. People can relate to it because of how realistic the drama can be. The more real the drama seems the more powerful it will come across to the audience.

The opposite to a realist narrative would be an anti-realist. An anti-realist is things that could never happen in real life however it still has to be realistic. This means that there still has to be some real life logic behind the events that take place. For example, the film superman is an anti-realist however seems realistic when he flies in the air. He can fly in the air because his planet has a stronger gravitational pull than earth so therefore when he is on earth he has the ability to launch himself in the air... the logic behind it makes sense to the audience.

An example of a realist drama would be Top Boy:

Top boy is drama set in suburban area of London where gang violence and drugs is their way of life. This realist drama is so powerful because the events and conflict that take place cause the audience to envisage what the characters are feeling and the horror of the sights they see.


Realism is where the rules in the beginning must not be broken later on in the film in order to maintain the realism theme. Realistic is where they aim to preserve an internal logic that is established early on in the film. It is when things seem like they could be real. For example an earthquake in London would never happen however if the scene conveyed the earthquake in a detailed manor the audience would be believe that it is something that could actually happen.